5 Overlocker Tips You Won't Find in the Manual (my best serger tips!)

Let's take our overlocker skills to the next level with these 5 unconventional tips! These expert tricks may not be common knowledge, but they will help you achieve better serging results. From threading techniques to finishing overlock seam, these unusual tips will give you the confidence to tackle serger project with ease. Let's elevate our overlocking game and get professional results every time!

Clear elastic tape suggestions:

SEWING ITEMS I LOVE USING:

Music | "Coffee" by LiQWYD

[eva_unrast]

My little overlock-tipp after about 40 Years of sewing: The third cone from the left holds the thread that sews the actual overlock stitch; the other three sew more or less straight. Therefore, the 3rd cone uses considerably more thread than the others. So if you always put the obvious fullest cone in the third spot, you'll use up the cones evenly.
So, in your tip for never using purple thread again, the cone should be put in 3rd place; the other three places are then occupied by the small bobbins.

[katybe]

I did know these tips already, but that doesn't mean they aren't valuable. My favourite tip is about tension settings. Once I have the settings right, I take a photo with my phone of the settings with a piece of the fabric on top. I often buy fabric by the roll, so I can easily check what settings the fabric needs by checking through the serger album on my phone.

[MissRebekah]

Before sewing and especially serging, drink plenty of water. Fabric and thread put off dust and tend to dry out nose and eyes.
Use a good hand lotion/moisturizer. This will keep your hands from getting dry and snagging fabric or threads.
Set a timer for one hour and twenty minutes. This is to give yourself a break. Get up, drink some more water, rotate neck and shoulders, go look out a window at things far away. Take about twenty minutes to do this then reset your timer and now that you are refreshed go back to your project.

Make Beauty!
Aunt B

[danicourtnay]

If your shoulder seam doesn't need to stretch, you can also stabilize with a piece of ribbon or twill tape. I don't like the feel of clear elastic so I often use cotton twill tape to reinforce my shoulder seams.

[lauraelbertsen]

Wait, I can thread bobbins and use them for the serger? My Lady, this is the best find of the year!

[dale]

I clip the elastic tape that comes on RTW clothes, unless I need it to keep the garment on the hanger. The strips can be used for reinforcing shoulder seams, don’t add to the landfill, don’t poke out when wearing the garment, and are free.

[inekekrul]

Thank you for your tips! I have a few tips: use black and white as standard colours and only change the cones for the colour you need at the very left. And maybe the upper looper. So for a dark red sweater, you can use 1 or 2 red cones and 2 black. It is not visible in the seam! And the other tip; if your serger does not have a catching part for the scraps. There are plates for under the serger, with a bucket or net to catch the treads and cut of scraps. Your floor and lap will stay clean of treads.

[lovemesomeslippers]

I’m surprised at the number of sewist who haven’t sewn covers for their machines! Great scrap project.

[jewelgaither]

I have worked in a garment factory in the past and that's the way they taught us to change the threads. I've used it for 40 or more years. Really saves time.

[joanijackson]

I made a cover for my serger. Quilted and pockets at back for cord and peddle. Thanks for the tips 🙏🏼🤗🌸❤️

[isabelleblanchet]

I simply lift the presser foot when changing the thread that way, it removes the tension automatically.

[TorBoy]

I love your tips. I, too, knew to tie the new threads when changing threads, but not reduce the tension. My favourite serger tip is to buy a book on sergers, which will tell you about the different serger stitches you can do, usually just by changing the tension of various threads.

[backseatadventures]

This is the best serger tips video I have ever seen ! Thank you so much 🎉🎉🎉

[nancybackes]

I use a fabric loop turner rather than a needle for tucking in the thread ends. A loop turner is like a very long needle but it has a small latch hook at the end instead of an eye. Push the the hook end in through the stitches, catch the thread tail, and pull the turner back out. The hook closes as you pull the turner and pulls the tail into the stitches. So it does the same thing as the needle trick, but it is faster and not as fiddly as you don't have to thread those ends through the eye of a needle.

[janemills]

Just bought my first overlocker & yet to use so I’m super happy to have come across your tips. Thanks 👍🏻🥰

[helenhardman]

I knew most of these and they are good tips. The winding of bobbins is a great one I hadn't heard.

[gildaparodi-swords]

I didn’t know to lower down the dial to zero for changing the thread. I kept it at 4 and the threads would come undone. Thanks for this great tip!

[carwin]

Very helpful hints. I had heard about tying threads together to avoid re-threading the whole machine but no one mentioned changing the tension. I'll definitely be trying this again.

[Divax]

I buy 2 cones of the same color for use on the loopers. I wind bobbins for the 2 needles. Gray & taupe will blend with a lot of colors. You gotta have black & white cones for sure.

[tsunamiglory]

I was very interested to see how to make a sharp corner that looks fantastic! Thanks for the tip